Packaging system employing metal tab bag opening,filling and closing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A PACKAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYING SQUARE BOTTOM BAGS HAVING TIN TIE CLOSURES IN WHICH THE BAGS ARE STACKED IN A BAG DISPENSING AND OPENING APPARATUS WHICH IS IN THE FORM OF A MAGAZINE ACCOMMODATING A STACK OF THE COLLAPSED BAGS IN GENERALLY UPRIGHT POSITION WITHT THE BOTTOM EDGES RESTING ON THE TOP RUN OF A CONVEYOR IN THE FORWARDLY SLOPING BOTTOM OF THE MAGAZINE, WHICH CONVEYOR IS OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY IN RESPONSE TO CHANGE IN PRESSURE AT THE FRONT OF THE STACK WHEN THE BOTTOM OF THE FOREMOST BAG OPENS AND MOVES PAST STOP MEMBERS IN THE BOTTOM OF A DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE UPRIGHT, FORWARDLY INCLINED FRONT WALL OF THE MAGAZINE SO AS TO URGE THE BAGS TOWARD THE DISCHARGE OPENING, THE FOREMOST BAG IN THE STACK BEING HELD BY STOP MEMBERS AND CO-OPERATING RELEASABLE LOCKING DEVICES ENGAGING BENEATH END PORTIONS OF THE TIN TIE STRIP WHILE AN AIR NOZZLE IS ACTUATED TO DIRECT A BLAST OF AIR DOWNWARDLY ALONG A CURVED GUIDE PLATE AND INTO THE BAG MOUTH SO AS TO BLOW OPEN THE BAG WHICH RELEASES THE BOTTOM AND PERMITS THE BAG TO SWING FORWARDLY TO A VERTICAL POSITION FOR FILLING, WITH THE TIN TIE   STRIP SERVING AS A PIVOT SUPPORT. A SWITCH WHICH MAY BE ACTUATED BY A PRODUCT FEEDING AND COUNTING OR WEIGHING APPARATUS CONTROLS THE OPERATION OF THE AIR NOZZLE AND A MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TIN TIE END LOCKING DEVICES FOR UNLOCKING THE SAME AND RELEASING THE BAG, PERMITTING IT TO DROP FREE OF THE FRAME ONTO A CONVEYOR WHICH ADVANCES IT TO A TOP CLOSING APPARATUS, WITH THE NEXT BAG IN THE STACK BEING OPENED UP AUTOMATICALLY BY A SUCCEEDING BLAST OF AIR AND SWINGING TO FILLING POSITION.

Sept. 20, 1971- 3,605,378

- f T. E; PlAz'zE PACKAGING SYSTEM EQLOYING METAL TAB BAG OPENING.FILLING AND CLOSING APPARATUS Q 'enea Jan. 5. 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR THOMAS E. P/AZZE ATT' YS Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,376

1'. E. PIAZZE PACKAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYLNGJIETAL TAB BAG OPENING. FILLINGAND GBOSING APPARATUS v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5. 1970 uvvelvrnTHOMAS E. FIAZZ ATT'Ys; o

P 20, 1971 1'. E. PIAZZE PACKAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYING METAL TAB BAGOPENING, FILLING AND CLOSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mad Jan. 5. 1970l N VENTOR THOMAS E. PIAZZ E United States Patent 01 Iice 3,605,376Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,605,376 PACKAGING SYSTEM EMPLOYING METAL TABBAG OPENING, FILLING AND CLOSING APPARATUS Thomas E. Piazze, MountVernon, Ohio, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, NY.Filed Jan. 5, 1970, Ser. No. 520 Int. Cl. B65b 43/36 U.S. Cl. 53-29 8Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packaging system employing squarebottom bags having tin tie closures in which the bags are stacked in abag dispensing and opening apparatus which is in the form of a magazineaccommodating a stack of the collapsed bags in generally uprightposition with the bottom edges resting on the top run of a conveyor inthe forwardly sloping bottom of the magazine, which conveyor is operatedintermittently in response to change in pressure at the front of thestack when the bottom of the foremost bag opens and moves past stopmembers in the bottom of a discharge opening in the upright, forwardlyinclined front wall of the magazine so as to urge the bags toward thedischarge opening, the foremost bag in the stack being held by stopmembers and co-operating releasable locking devices engaging beneath endportions of the tin tie strip while an air nozzle is actuated to directa blast of air downwardly along a curved guide plate and into the bagmouth so as to blow open the bag which releases the bottom and permitsthe bag to swing forwardly to a vertical position for filling, with thetin tie strip serving as a pivot support. A switch which may be actuatedby a product feeding and counting or weighing apparatus controls theoperation of the air nozzle and a means connected to the tin tie endlocking devices for unlocking the same and releasing the bag, permittingit to drop free of the frame onto a conveyor which advances it to a topclosing apparatus, with the next bag in the stack being opened upautomatically by a succeeding blast of air and swinging to fillingposition.

This invention relates to a system for packaging products in fiat orsquare bottom bags of the type which are provided with tin tie closurestrips and is particularly concerned with improvements in methods fordispensing and automatically opening bags in a bag packaging line whichenables the line to be operated automatically with increased efficiencyand higher production.

Bags of the square or fiat bottom style or type are produced from paperand similar flexible sheet materials in great quantities for packaging alarge variety of products. When used for some products, such as, bakeryproducts, fruit and other produce, sugar and the like, bags of this typeare frequently provided with tin tie closure strips enabling the bags tobe easily closed by rolling down the collapsed bag mouth and bending inthe projecting ends of the associated tin tie strip while at the sametime permitting ready re-opening without destruction of the tie stripwhich may again be used for reclosing of the bag. While this type baghas had widespread use it has certain disadvantages in that it does notlend itself to high speed operations and most often the slow speed withwhich it can be fed and opened limits the output of the packaging lineor operation in which it is used. It is a general object of theinvention, therefore, to provide a system for packaging with this typebag which employs an improved apparatus for dispensing the bags from astack and automatically opening the same at a faster rate than whenopened by the apparatus heretofore provided in packaging lines of thecharacter described.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved systemfor dispensing square bottom bags which have tin tie closure strips fromthe end of a stack in which they are disposed in collapsed relation andfor opening up successive bags in a positive manner so that each bag isheld in a position to be filled with the desired product and thereafterfreed from the dispensing and opening apparatus with the next succeedingbag in the stack being automatically opened up and positioned forfilling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag opening, fillingand closing system wherein bags of the square bottom type having tin tieclosures are stacked in collapsed condition in a magazine having a'bottom floor which slopes downwardly and forwardly toward an upright,forwardly inclined front wall in which there is a discharge opening andassociated means for suspending the leading bag in the stack by engagingprojecting ends of the tin tie strip while the bag is opened up andfreed from the stack at the bottom by a blast of air directed into themouth of the bag, after which the suspending means is withdrawn to allowthe bag to drop free of the magazine and permit it to be advanced to aclosing station,

Another object of the invention is to provide a bag dispensing, openingand filling system for square bottom bags having tin tie closure stripswherein a stack of the bags in collapsed condition are disposed in amagazine which has a forwardly inclined front wall with a dischargeopening therein, a power driven means for urging the bags toward thedischarge opening which is actuated by a sensing device responsive tochange in the forward pressure of the leading bags in the stack, areleasable bag support means for engaging the extended ends of the tintie closure strip on the leading bag so as to temporarily hold the samein suspended relation while an air nozzle directs a blast of air intothe mouth of the leading bag thereby opening the bag and freeing thebottom thereof from the magazine, with the bag suspending means beingwithdrawn when the bag is filled, permitting the same to drop free ofthe magazine for advance to a closing mechanism.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system forautomatically packaging products in square bottom bags having tin tieclosures wherein the product is measured or counted and delivered insuccessive batches to a filling station where the bags are dispensed bya magazine containing a stack thereof with associated means fordelivering successive bags in upright opened condition and temporarilysupporting the same until the bag is filled when the support iswithdrawn, allowing the filled bag to drop onto a conveyor whichadvances it to a mechanism for closing the top and folding the tin tieends.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are shown by wayof illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan View illustrating an automatic packaging linefor bakery products or the like which embodies the principal features ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a square bottom bag having a tin tieclosure, the bag being the type employed in the packaging line of FIG. 1and being shown in the opened up condition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, to a larger scale, of the bagdispensing and opening apparatus employed in the packaging line of FIG.1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, with portions broken away, of the dispensingand opening apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the view being taken on the line5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the bag dispensing and openingapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, toa larger scale and with portions broken away; and

FIG. 8 is a largely schematic view illustrating a por tion of theelectrical controls for operating the apparatus.

Referring first to FIG. 2, there is illustrated, in opened up condition,a square bottom or rectangular bottom bag 10 of the type which isadapted to be used in the practice of the present invention. The bag 10,in the position illustrated, has front and back side walls 11 and 12, infolding end or side walls 13 and 14 extending between the corner formingedges of the front and back walls 11 and 12 and a bottom wall 15connecting the bottom corner forming edges of the four side walls. A tintie closure strip 16 is secured to the top margin of the back wall 12which is in the plane of the back wall 12 and which is of sufficientlength to provide end extensions 17 and 17. The bottom wall 15 is formedso that in the collapsed or flattened condition of the bag, as shown inFIG. 6, it lies folded into the plane of the collapsed front and backwalls on a hinge line coinciding with the bottom edge of the back sidewall 12. The bottom wall 15 automatically hinges into a plane normal tothe front and back walls 11 and 12 when these walls are spread apart tofully open position as shown in FIG. 2.

The system for dispensing and opening the bags 10 and filling the samewith a product is illustrated in FIG. 1 in connection with a packagingline for bakery products, for example, doughnuts which are advanced onthe conveyor run 18 to a loading device at 19 which is positioned infront of a bag dispensing and opening apparatus 20 in position forloading the desired number of doughnuts into each bag 10 when it isopened up and held at the front of the dispensing apparatus 20. When thebag 10 is loaded with the desired number of doughnuts, a mechanism isactuated to release the filled bag which drops onto the conveyor 21 andis advanced to a top closing apparatus at 23.

The bag dispensing and opening apparatus 20* (FIGS. 4 to 7) comprises amagazine forming frame having a bottom or floor forming plate 24 whichextends between a pair of parallel, vertically disposed bottom sideplates 25 and 25'. The floor plate 24 is disposed at an angle to thehorizontal bottom edge of the side plates 25 and 25' and slopesdownwardly and forwardly toward the front frame assembly 26 which is ina plane normal to the plane of the fioor plate 24. The front side framemembers 27 and 27' which extend in upright, forwardly inclined relationfrom the forward ends of the side plates 25 and 25' are connected at thetop by a cross plate 28 on the front of which there is mounted a curvedguide plate 30 for directing air into the mouth of the foremost bag inthe stack, the latter being indicated at 31 in FIG. 4. The air guideplate 30 is curved about a vertical axis with its lower end terminatingat the top of the opening 32 in the frame assembly 26 through which thebags are discharged. Side guide bars 33 and 33 are adjustably mounted,to accommodate different size bags, on a pair of parallel, spaced crossbags 34 which extend between upstanding rear extensions 35 and 35' andcarry at their forward ends small stop plates 36 and 36' which extendinwardly and for a slight distance into the path of side portions of thebags as they are urged forwardly in the stack 31. A front plate 37extends between the side plates 25 and 25' in the plane of the frontframe assembly 26, along the top edge of which a pair of stop members 38and 38 which extend a short distance above the plane of the floor plate24 into the path of the bags, and normally limit the forward movement ofthe bottom portions of the bags in the stack 31. The front plate 37 ismounted on rock shaft 39 which extends between the side plates 25 and25' and forms part of the control for operating belts 40 and 40 ashereinafter described. The belts 40 and 40' are mounted in laterallyspaced relation on rear and front pulleys 41, 41' and 42, 42, the latterbeing idler pulleys mounted on short shafts 43, 43- extending from theside plates 25 and 25'. The pulleys 41 are mounted on a cross shaft 44at the rear end of the frame on which there is mounted at sprocket 45connected by the chain 46 with the output sprocket 47 on a drive motor48 suitably mounted beneath the floor plate 24 as shown in FIG. 4. Thetop nm of each of the conveyor belts 40 and 40' rides on the top face ofthe floor plate 24 so that these belts engage the bottom edges of thecollapsed bags in the stack 31 and are operated to urge the stackforwardly towards the discharge opening 32 in the front frame 26 whendriven by the motor 48. The forward end of plate 24 is notched out at 49and 49" to accommodate the conveyor belts 40 and 40. The drive motor 48for the belts 40 and 40' is controlled by a switch 50 mounted at theforward end of the frame which is normally closed. A switch actually armmember 51 is mounted on the rock shaft 39 which carries the front stopplate 37 for operating the normally closed switch 50' according to themovement of the stop plate 37. When the stop plate 37 is moved forward apredetermined distance by pressure at the forward end of the stack 31the motor circuit is interrupted. When the pressure is relieved bywithdrawal of the bottom portion of the foremost bag in the stack andthe stop plate 37 swings rearwardly, the switch 50 is opened to operatethe belts 40 and 40* so as to urge the stack 31 forwardly.

At the top of the discharge opening 32 a stop finger 55 is mounted onthe air guide plate 30 with the lowermost end extending into the path ofthe top margin of the bags. A pair of angular stop fingers 56 and 56'are mounted on the lower edge of the cross plate 28 and extend into thepath of the tin tie strip 16 at opposite ends of the latter. The stopfingers 56 and 56' have associated releasable plate-like locking members57 and 57' which are carried on the free ends of arms 58 and 58', thelatter extending from the rock shaft 60. The shaft 60 is mounted inbearing forming brackets 61 and 61' extending from the top cross plate28 and carries a rock arm 62, the free end of which is connected to theend of the piston 63 of air cylinder 64 supported on an angular bracket65 on the top cross plate 28. The locking plates 57 and 57, in oneposition thereof, extend beneath the opposite ends 17, 17 of the tin tiestrips 16 of the leading bags in the stack 31. Rotation of the rockshaft 60 by the air cylinder 64 withdraws the locking plates 57 and 57'so as to release the tin tie strip on the foremost bag and permit thebag suspended. thereby to drop free of the magazine.

The air nozzle is mounted on a bracket 71 extending upwardly of thecross plate 28 with the end of the nozzle pointed so as to direct ablast of air along the guide plate 30 toward the mouth of the leadingbag in the stack 31. A weight 72, with an upright member 73, may beplaced at the rear of the stack to help maintain the rearmost bags inupright position, the weight resting on belts 40, 40 and being urgedforwardly by friction upon movement of the belts.

The control arrangement, illustrated in FIG. 8, for operating theapparatus includes a switch 74 and air valves 75 and 76 which controlthe operation of the bag release arms 58 and 58' and the air nozzle 70,respectively. The valves 75 and 76 are operated by cams 77 and 78mounted on a cross shaft 79 which has a belt drive connection 80 with adrive motor 81 and includes a single revolution clutch 82. The cam discs77 and 78 are arranged to operate the valves 75 and 76 in the propertimed sequence to release a previously opened bag and thereafter blowopen the next succeeding bag in the stack. The cam discs 77, 78 and thedrive therefor may, of course, be mounted between the side frame plates25, 25'. The switch 74 may be connected into the control for the productfeed mechanism, as indicated, so that when the proper number of productelements is dumped into an opened bag 10 the switch 74 will be actuatedto operate the bag dispensing mechanism 20.

In the packaging line illustrated the doughnuts or other products areadvanced by the single line conveyor 18 to the loading turret 19 and theflow of products is controlled by an electric eye counter, indicated at85, which operates a reciprocating or swinging stop' member or gate,indicated at 86, to hold back the oncoming products when the desirednumber for filling a bag has advanced to a bucket 87 on the turntable orturret 19. Each of the buckets 87 has a hingedly mounted bottom gate 88and provision is made for swinging the gate 88 downwardly to an openposition when a bucket 87 is positioned, by indexing the turntable 19,over the fixed loading chute 90. The gates 88 may ride on a cam rail 91which holds them in a normally closed position except at the loading ordischarge station where the rail dips down and permits the gate 88 toopen and discharge the product into the chute 90 which empties into themouth of an open bag 10. The swinging gate 88 trips the switch 74 whichinitiates the cycle of operation of the magazine 20 and the associatedmechanism for dispensing and opening the bags.

In operating the apparatus a stack of the collapsed bags 31 is placedupon the table 24 and moved forwardly to bring the foremost bag into thedischarge opening 32 where it is stopped by fingers 55, 56, 56', 36, 36'and 38, 38'. The operator then actuates the switch 74 which operates thevalves 75, 76 to first release a previously filled or dispensed bag bywithdrawal of the fingers 57 and 57' followed by operation of the nozzle70 to direct a blast of air into the next succeeding bag which is movedforward into the discharge opening. The blast of air from nozzle 70opens up the foremost bag in the stack and releases the bottom whichswings forward so that the bag is suspended as shown in FIG. 4 andpositioned for receiving the product to be placed therein. When the bagis filled by operation of the product feed mechanism 18, 19 the switch74 is actuated by a gate 88 which releases the filled bag and operatesnozzle 70 for opening the next succeeding bag in the stack. The bags areurged forwardly at the bottom by operation of the pressure sensing stopplate 37 which controls the switch 50 for advancing the belts 40 and 40until pressure on the plate 37 opens the switch 50 which stops the belts40, 40" with the foremost bag in position for opening. As eachsuccessive filled bag 10 is released from the magazine 20 and droppedonto the conveyor run 21, it advances to a bag closing mechanism 23which operates in response to a bag actuated switch 99 to automaticallyclose the bag mouth and fold the tin tie ends 17 and 17' therebycompleting the package. The respective devices are, of course, driven bypower means which is controlled by suitable electric circuitry toperform the successive operations in properly timed relation forcontinuous automatic operation.

While the system illustrated employs an electric eye counter 85 fordetermining the number of product items which constitute a batch forfilling a bag, the bag load may be determined by weighing, volumetricmeasurement or otherwise.

I claim:

1. A method of packaging products in square bottomtype bags having tintie closure members at the mouth thereof which comprises supporting astack of the bags in collapsed condition at a filling station, movingthe bags to bring the foremost bag into position beneath an air nozzleand releasably supporting the bag by engaging beneath the extended endsof the tin tie closure member,

opening the bag with a blast of air from the nozzle, filling the openedbag with a product, releasing the bag when filled for advance to aclosing station and automatically advancing the next succeeding bag inthe stack and opening the same in position for filling.

2. A method of packaging as set forth in claim 1, and filling eachsuccessive bag with a measured quantity of the product, releasing eachsuccessive bag when filling is completed, advancing each bag when filledto a closing station and closing each successive bag to complete thepackage.

3. A method of packaging as set forth in claim 1 and advancing eachsuccessive bag when filled to a closing station and automaticallyclosing the mouth of the filled bag.

4. A method of packaging products in square bottomtype bags having tintie closure members at the mouth thereof which comprises supporting astack of the bags in collapsed upright position at a filling station,moving the bags by pressure on the stack thereof to bring the foremostbag into position beneath an air nozzle and releasably supporting theforemost bags in the stack by engaging beneath the extended ends of thetin tie closure members, opening the foremost bag with a blast of airfrom the nozzle while it is releasably supported, filling the opened bagwith a quantity of the product, releasing the filled bag and advancingit to a closing station, advancing the next succeeding bag in the stackand opening the same in position for filling and closing the successivefilled bags.

5. A method of packaging as set forth in claim 4, and filling eachsuccessive bag with a measured quantity of the product, andautomatically releasing each successive bag when the filling thereof iscompleted.

6. A method of packaging as set forth in claim 4, and automaticallyadvancing each successive bag when it is filled to a closing station,closing the mouth of the filled bag and folding the ends of the tin tieclosure strip to complete the package.

7. A method of packaging products in square bottom type bags having tintie closure members at the mouth thereof which comprises advancing theproducts and measuring successive batches thereof for discharge at aloading station, providing a stack of the bags in upright, flattenedcondition with the foremost bag in the stack disposed at the loadingstation, releasably supporting the foremost bag by engaging beneathextended ends of the tin tie closure member, opening the foremost bag inthe stack by directing a blast of air into the top thereof, discharginga batch of the product into each successive opened bag, releasing theforemost bag when filled by withdrawing the support thereof, andadvancing the filled bag from the loading station to a closing stationand automatically opened the next bag in the stack while the next batchof product is advanced to the, loading station.

8. A method of packaging as set forth in claim 7 and opening successivebags in the stack in response to the discharge of products into thepreceeding bag.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,902,812 9/1959 Maxey et a1.5338S 3,325,962 6/1967 Baron 53--29 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 53-189

